Health Care Facts

The department's health care delivery system is managed by the DC Office of Health Services (OHS) and provides comprehensive medical, dental, mental health, and pharmaceutical services, including: health education, preventative care, and chronic illness clinics. The scope of health services ranges from emergency care, to inpatient hospitalization, to specialty care, as required. Health care is provided at a constitutional standard of care as mandated by the Federal Government.

Nurse recording inmate's vital signs.

In early 1990, OHS began exploring alternative health care delivery systems. As a result, the OHS currently functions in a managed care mode. This was accomplished by structuring the OHS similar to the typical staff model health maintenance organization. The OHS closely monitors utilization of all medical services provided to inmates with particular emphasis on high cost and invasive procedures, both diagnostic and surgical. Through contracts, networks of physicians and hospitals provide discounted specialty and diagnostic care and are used whenever possible. As resources have permitted, the OHS has consolidated complex and difficult disease entities such as renal dialysis, AIDS, TB, cardiac, and other chronic illnesses at select locations to maximize quality and minimize cost.

Dentist and dental assistant perform exam.

The application of clinical quality management principles and the use of managed care practices such as: pre-admission certification, continued stay review, retrospective hospital admissions review, ambulatory surgery, and diagnostics, have resulted in improved quality and significant cost avoidance.

More than 2,900 health services staff members provide health care around the clock at all major institutions in Regions I, II, III, and IV, including the Reception Medical Center Hospital. Access to health care for inmates is also provided at various other satellite facilities.

Psychologist conducting mental health interview.

The Inmate population has grown from 26,400 in 1984 to more than 102,000 as of June 30, 2010, with 7% of that number female. Inmates are distributed among 57 male institutions and 5 female institutions. Many of these institutions have additional supervisory responsibilities for facilities such as work camps and/or road prisons. During Fiscal Year 2009-2010, more than three (3) million health care encounters were provided by OHS personnel and by contracted community service providers. For FY 2009-10, the average statewide per diem cost for health care for all inmates, excluding those in private facilities, was $12.13.